Animating text with keyframes, Using keyframes vs. using behaviors – Apple Motion 2 User Manual
Page 559
Chapter 7
Using Text
559
Animating Text With Keyframes
You can create keyframes for most of the text parameters. As with all objects in Motion,
there are two ways to create keyframes: the Record button in the transport controls or
the Animation menu in the Inspector. The following example uses both methods to
animate text Tracking and Opacity.
Note: Most text behaviors automatically animate the text parameters without creating
keyframes. For example, when the Tracking behavior is applied to a text object, the
tracking occurs at the rate specified in the behavior. For more information, see “
Text Animation and Text Sequence Behaviors
Example: Creating Text Object Tracking and Opacity Keyframes
The following example animates text to fade in as the tracking animates. You can also
create this same effect using the Fade In/Fade Out behavior (in the Basic Motion
behavior category) and the Tracking behavior (in the Text Animation behavior
category).
To create text tracking keyframes:
1
Go to the frame where you want to start the tracking animation.
2
Select the text object.
3
Enable Record (press A).
Using Keyframes vs. Using Behaviors
The text animation method you use (keyframing or behaviors) depends on your
project, or more specifically, your timing needs. In general, if you need a very specific
action to happen at a specific point in time in your project, use keyframing. For
example, if you want a text object to be completely transparent at frame 1, become
completely opaque at frame 60, become transparent again at frame 90, and opaque
again at frame 120, use keyframing. Keyframes apply specific values to an object’s
parameters at certain frames.
If the effect is more general, for example, you want the text to be completely
transparent at frame 1, become opaque over frames 60-90, and become transparent
by frame 120, use the Fade In/Fade Out behavior. Behaviors generate a range of
values that are applied to an object’s parameters.
You can combine keyframing and behaviors on all objects in Motion. For example, if
you keyframe text opacity, you can then apply the Tracking behavior to automatically
animate the text object tracking, or you can keyframe the Tracking parameter. Keep in
mind, however, that if you keyframe the text Opacity parameter, and then apply a
Fade In/Fade Out behavior to the text object, unexpected results may occur. For more
information on combining behaviors and keyframes, see “
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